In the 17th century, one Native American utilitarian use of sheet metal includes the manufacture of arrow tips or points. Arrows headed with brass, among other materials, have been noted by Mourt in 1622 (in Heath 1986), and in 1624, van Wassenaer (1967) describes Native American arrows pointed with copper. Similarly, in 1634 William Wood (1865) observes composite arrows "headed with brasse in shape of a heart or triangle."

Although simplistic in design, these predominantly triangular brass and copper points were ingeniously manufactured. Often native-made metal arrow points had lateral edges which were rolled around, or metal may have been rolled into a cone for insertion of the arrow shaft. Often out of a thicker gauge metal, arrow points would be flat and often have decorative perforations and notches to facilitate hafting.